Mumbai is worst-hit city; health department and administration fail to curb disease spread
The dengue epidemic is showing no sign of slowing down in Maharashtra with the number of positive cases and deaths rising in all major cities of the state. Rural areas, too, are witnessing a high rate of dengue infection. The recent death of a Mumbai doctor due to the disease has virtually created a panic-like situation across the state.
Among the cities, state capital Mumbai is the worst hit with seven out of the 31 deaths being reported from within its municipality limits. The highest number of infected patients (696), have also been identified here. Pune, Thane and Nagpur follow closely with 344, 283 and 258 positive patients respectively. Nagpur has reported four deaths while two have been reported in Pune and one in Thane. Cities like Nashik, Aurangabad and Dhule have also reported a rise in number of patients.
Rural areas have also been affected. The worst affected are forest-rich eastern Vidarbha districts of Bhandara, Gondia, Chandrapur, Gadchiroli and Wardha. A total of 50 deaths have been reported from eastern Vidarbha, Nagpur included.
This rapid spread is being seen as a failure of the state health care mechanism. The directorate of health services and city administrations are being criticised for failing to curb the spread of the disease. Satish Pawar, director of health services, has said that all necessary steps, like spraying of mosquito repellants, are being undertaken in cities.
However, the efforts do not appear to have had much effect as the incidence of dengue is 22 per cent higher this year than last year.
No clear data
The figures quoted above are those of government hospitals, whereas dengue patients are also getting treatment in private hospitals. The administration has no reliable mechanism for getting the correct data of dengue patients in private hospitals, hence the actual incidence of dengue might actually be higher.
Repellants may not be working
In Nagpur, citizens have complained that despite repeated sprays of mosquito repellants, there is no reduction in mosquito number. Citizens allege that there is corruption involved as the sprays are too heavily diluted and, therefore, not effective. Sources in the city’s health department reveal that the city was initially spraying strong repellants, but after heath workers were adversely impacted by the sprays, the department switched over to milder sprays, which might be causing the problem. Meanwhile, the Nagpur Bench of the Mumbai High Court has slammed the city administration over its lackadaisical attitude to dengue management in response to a PIL, and ordered the health department to provide information on what steps it has taken to control the spread of the disease.
Hospitals harbouring dengue?
Meanwhile, a report of the Mosquito Borne Diseases Department of the directorate of health services has prepared a survey report which says that 56 out of the 370 medical facilities included in the survey are breeding grounds of dengue.
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